Shelbyville Neighborhood Faces Destruction

USPA NEWS - Numerous Shelbyville Residents are upset over the proposed rezoning of nine residential lots to commercial in the heart of a local neighborhood. Residents are concerned that the reported "National Grocery Store with Gas Component" will endanger their way of living as well as their safety.

SHELBYVILLE, TN, MARCH 14, 2015- Residents of Shelbyville, Tennessee were surprised to learn a little over a week ago that an entire neighborhood which has stood for more than a century near the heart of the city could be no more. The Shelbyville Planning Commission approved a proposal to rezone nine residential lots to Commercial, and barely a soul in the city had any idea it was happening. The passing of this motion by the Planning Commission immediately forwarded the proposal to the Shelbyville City Council for the first of three readings, which they passed unanimously this past Thursday, March 12th, still with little to no public notice. City Planner, Amanda Rhinehart, has stated that “The current project under consideration is the rezoning application, and that is the only active application being considered at this time.“ And continued with “The City has not received an application for site plan review, nor has the City received an application to combine any parcels. It is my understanding that“¦if the rezoning application is successful, the developer intends to combine the 9 parcels being rezoned, plus the two that front Madison, into one parcel. If/when we receive an application for combining the parcels, (then) that will be considered a project. If/when we receive an application for site plan review, (then) that will be considered its own project as well.“

The City of Shelbyville officials have stated numerous times that they are “unaware“ of the identity of the Developer of this project. The only comments from a City Official was that they were only informed that it was “a national grocery store chain that has a fuel component“. The Developer contacted a well-known local Realtor who has been the primary contact with the eleven total lots (Two of the eleven are already zoned commercial). This Realtor has also been in contact with other adjacent property owners, one of whom refused two offers to purchase their property, because they do not want to sell.

Organizers of the group who are opposed to the rezoning, have contacted numerous “National Grocery Store Chains“ including Publix who said that they “had no interest in Shelbyville after their proposed submittal to locate on Madison Street in Shelbyville, several years ago was rejected“. Upon contacting the Regional Development Director for Tennessee for Walmart, the organizer was told that he could neither “confirm nor would he deny“ that the proposed project was to be a Walmart Neighborhood Market with Gas Station“. Though he did not confirm, or deny, he did know a great amount of details related to the location including the facts about specifics of some of the structures in the proposed area, including street issues and widths.

The Organizers agree that if a company were not planning to develop in this area, then why would they be aware of so many of the “specific details“ of the proposed project. So the current assumption is that this project is for a Walmart Neighborhood Market.
The Group opposed to this project now nicknamed “Vote No On Nine“, have met and agreed on specifics to their opposition to the rezoning project. Some of these include the potential increase in the already burdened traffic zone which in turn could endanger the safety of the remaining neighborhoods families as well as the children of a three decade old Daycare Center located three parcels behind the proposed zone.

Other concerns are the same concerns of communities that have faced the same developments, increased crime rates, and decreased property values. This area also includes a historic 115 year old home which at one time encompassed a full nine acres and is locally known as the Rappleye House. Area historians, are upset that this project would lead to its demolition. Some residents in the area have posted negative comments against this as saying that this home is “Because it's a broken down, ramshackle house that's been ignored for years“, which is totally untrue, the previous two owners of this home spent years and untold amounts of money restoring and turning it back into a showplace, I personally have been in this home, and can state that officially. The Group is not opposed to a development of this type in Shelbyville, they are just opposed to this location. As you can tell from the included plot maps, this development would be surrounded on three sides by homes. The two side streets are narrow old residential streets with homes that sit close to them. Shelbyville has numerous available commercial properties all over the city including the previously mentioned location that was at one time considered by Publix, but the local Realtor representative chose this location for this planned project.

A Public Hearing has been scheduled for April 9th in the Municipal Courtroom of the City Hall Annex with the City Council, the organization in opposition to this will be present and will present the council completed petitions in opposition to the re-zoning. An online petition is currently active online on Change.org and residents and businesses are canvassing the city obtaining signatures on traditional petitions.
Nashville news media have picked up this story and the Shelbyville Free Press will continue to follow this closely as it develops.